waste incinerator: take action now

Take Action Now !

Enviroserve a waste company in South Africa is in the process of conducting
an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Medical Waste Incinerator in
Shongweni in Durban South Africa. The proposed plant makes use of two
existing incinerators one of which was closed due to community pressure in
Prospecton and is now proposed to be relocated to Enviroserve's Shongweini
Landfill Site.

The proposal includes the establishment of an the incineration plant
together with a filtration unit which we are not convinced will meet the
requirements of removal of heavy metals or dioxins and furans. We have
requested that this matter be taken up by the Legal Resources Centre in
Durban on our behalf. We are also in the process of forming a community
alliance around the site together with other NGOs in the Durban area.

We would like to request that people sign and fax letters to the Department
of Agriculture and Environment Affairs in KwaZulu Natal (DAEA) who will
issue the Record of Decision. Please fund the a copy of the letter and
contact details of the relevant people. Please fax or e-mail a copy of the
letter to us too. The cut off for objections and comments is the 13 October
2003.

Regards
Bryan Ashe

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From:................
...............
Code.....
Email / Fax.............
....October 2003

TO: The Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs
Att. Sarah Allan (DAEA)
E-mail: [email protected]
Fax:+27 33 3559122

RE: HIGH RISK MEDICAL WASTE INCINERATOR AT SHONGWENI

Dear Mrs Allen
I wish to place on record my opposition to the proposal for a High Risk
Medical Waste incinerator to be built at Shongweni.
i) There is no need whatsoever for an incinerator of this type to be built,
let alone in the Shongweni area. Incineration is not the only method to deal
with medical waste. Autoclaving is an alternative that Envisroserv should
rather employ. In any event, there is an autoclaver in nearby Westmead that
can treat the majority of the medical waste. The small percentage that
cannot be autoclaved can be treated chemically or disposed of in an
alternative no-impact manner
ii) It is unacceptable that they intend polluting our atmosphere with
carcinogenic pollutants that will negatively affect the health of the
community in the cause for financial gain. I am very unhappy that
Enviroserve just assumes that the incinerator will comply with legal
standards, but provides no proof that it can. Nor has it done a technical
feasibility study.
iii) I am also concerned about emissions of dioxins, furans, mercury,
cadmium, arsenic and chromium. Our constitutional right to an environment
that is not adverse to our health and well being demands that you refuse
permission for Enviroserve to build this incinerator.

I demand that any proposal for an incinerator at Shongweni Landfill be
refused.
Yours sincerely

..................
ID No: ............

cc: [email protected]
fax: +27- 866728081

_____________________________________
Bryan Ashe
Earthlife Africa eThekwini (Durban) Branch
P.O. Box 18722
Dalbridge
4014
South Africa

Local:
Cell: 0826521533
Tel: 031-2011119
Fax: 0866728081

International
Mobile: +27-826521533
Tel: +27-31-201119
Fax: +27- 866728081

e-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]

Website: www.earthlife-ct.org.za

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